Clothing



H. WEISMAN Feb. 25, 1936.

CLOTHING Filed Feb. 24, 1954 INVENTOR #422 Y WE/SMAM/ BYZ\:

ATTORN EYS Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNETED STATES PATET OFFICE CLOTHING Harry Weisman, New York, N. Y. Application February 24, 1934, Serial No. 712,708

3 Claims. The present invention relates to womens apparel and it particularly relates to adjustable undergarments for feminine wear.

In the case of feminine underwear the lingerie shoulder straps are usually sewed or attached fixedly in position on the garment both at the back and front.

It is desirable generally to cover the shoulder straps by the shoulder portions of the blouse, dress or gown which the wearer may use. However, due to the varying shape of the backs or shoulders of these garments and particularly due to the varying shape of the openings, these fixed position straps will not conform to a variety of different styles of blouses, waists, dresses and/or gowns, but it is frequently necessary for the wearer to vary the undergarment for each particular type of dress utilized so that the fixed shoulder straps thereof will be correctly positioned.

Even in this case the straps frequently do not satisfactorily conform to the shoulder portions of such garment, but lie in a position under such shoulder portions that they are not particularly comfortable, and, moreover, tend to constantly slip out of position.

Furthermore, to make the straps most universally adaptable it has been customary to cause the straps to pass over the shoulders as two parallel J-shaped loops, one over each shoulder in which case the supporting character of the straps is not most satisfactory. This parallel loop construction primarily serves for the purpose of making the undergarments adapted to be worn with evening gowns or open back dresses or blouses which at best are worn but for a minor fraction of the time during the life of the undergarment.

An object of the present invention is to provide the improved undergament construction by which the shoulder straps of the undergarments may be conveniently adjusted and changed without difficulty to conform to any particular style of blouse, dress, waist or gown with the assurance that a maximum amount of support will be combined with a most desired appearance.

Other objects will appear during the course of the following specification.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactory to form a shoulder strap in such a manner that the point of attachment to the garment may be constantly altered, so that the loops may cross the shoulders of the wearer at any desired point to most satisfactorily support the undergarment and also so that the adjusted straps will conform to the shape of the garment. If desired, the straps may cross at the back of the wearer so as to support the garment in the most satisfactory manner where the tendency for the garment straps to slide over the shoulders and out of position will be least.

In the embodiment to be shown and described the back terminals of the shoulder straps are provided with detachable connections to the upper edge of the back of the garment, the position of the ends of which straps may be varied most conveniently by the wearer. In one form these detachable connections take the form of snap connections.

The above invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a rear view of the garment.

Figure 2 is a back side view of the wearer showing in dotted lines upon a relatively smaller scale, how the garment may be fitted to the wearer to accommodate the particular style of the gown.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the upper portion of the garment similar to Figure 1 showing the different positioning of the straps most conveniently adapted to daytime wear.

Figure 4 is a detail view upon an enlarged scale of the snap connection arrangement at the rear of the garment and at the upper edge thereof,

Figure 5 is a side sectional view upon a still further enlarged scale upon the line 5-5 of Figure 4 with the snap detached, showing how the detachable snap connection is attached to the garment.

Figure 6 is a front view taken in the direction indicated by the arrow 6 in Figure 5 showing a front View of the snap connection on the garment.

Figure 7 is a front view of the end of the strap taken in the direction indicated by the arrow 7 of Figure 5 showing the attachment of the snap 45 connection thereto, and

Figure 8 is an inside fragmentary view of the front of the garment illustrating how the straps are connected thereto for support.

In the drawing the undergarment A is illus- 50 tratively shown as a slip but it may take the form of other feminine nether garments. The garment A has a front H] and a back II.

The upper portion of the garment is provided with a V-recess l2 and with the peaks l3 at either side thereof to receive the straps M. The upper portion of the garment slopes at l5 below the arms and it is curved downwardly as indicated at I6 to be very low in the back so that it will be below the normal back of the dress.

The fitting of the garment is conveniently illustrated upon Figure 2, where it will be noted that the evening dress is provided with a front portion l1 and a skirt portion l8. It .will be noted that quite wide openings, as indicated at I3, are provided for the arms, the edge 23 of these openings extending down to the waist at 2 I.

The entire back of the garment l'll8 is open as indicated at 22 and the shoulder portion 23 extends from the waist 2| over the shoulder to the front of the garment.

It will be noted that the rear upper edge l6 of the undergarment A is slightly below the upper rear edge 24 of the waist-line of the outer garment while the edge I5 is slightly inside of the edge 20 of the outer garment. It will be noted that the straps l4 are positioned just inside of the inner edge 25 of the shoulder portions 23.

As indicated upon Figures 1 and 3, the upper rear edge of the undergarment A receives a strip of detachable female fastener elements 26,. to which the male fastener elements 21 may be attached. These male fasteners are connected to the ends of the rear portions 28 of the shoulder straps M. The straps are fixedly sewed at 58 at their front ends to the peak portions I3 of the undergarment A.

As is apparent from Figures 1 to 3 by adjusting the detachable snap elements 26-21 it is possible to have the straps positioned as indicated in the solid lines in Fig. 1 where a fairly narrow open back evening gown or other outer garment is utilized; or as indicated in the dotted lines as indicated upon Fig. 1 where a fairly wide open back evening gown is employed; or in the cross fashion of Figure 3, where a completely closed back is employed, as is customary with blouses, waists, suits and dresses utilized for daytime wear. The crossing straps of Figure 3 are particularly satisfactorilyv employed where a maximum of support is desired without slipping of the shoulder straps.

Referring to Figures 4, 5, 6 and '7 the shoulder straps M are made of a narrow strip of material preferably: formed of two layers of fabric closely sewn together at the edges as indicated at 29 in Figure 7.

To the lower ends of the rear portions of these straps, which are preferably of a silk fabric, are connected the double fabric squares 3B, preferably of a cotton material between the layers of which pad 30 is enclosed the base disc 3| (see Fig. 5) carrying the male snap member 32 projecting through the opening 33. The square tab member 30 is provided with stitching at 34 encircling its border and it is also provided with circular stitching 35 inside of said border stitching, encircling the disc 3l. The end of the strap M is joined to the pad or tab 30 by the short lateral stitching at 36 where the strap crosses the upper and lower edges of the tab.

The small snap members are most conveniently enclosed in a strip of fabric folded upon itself as indicated at 26, which strip of fabric is sewed to the border H5 at the rear of the nether garment. These snaps 31 are held in place by the circular stitching 38 around each circular small snap member 31 and folds of the straps are held together and to the border I 6 by the stitching 39 at the unner and lower edges of the strip. The material 26 is preferably also of a cotton fabric and as indicated openings 43 are provided for the reception of the knobs or male snap members 32.

Referring to Figure 8, it will be noted that to support the strap M in front a loop element 4! is employed at the front of the garment and that the loop 4! passes through the buckle 42. lower ends of the loop subjected to the triangular sewing '43 and the transverse sewing 43 to attach them firmly to the peaks 3 at 48.

The buckles 45 permit tightening of the strap M, the portion 46 of the strap being connected to the cross member 41 and the strap extending through the lower portion 49 and the upper portion 50 of the buckle 45.

It is apparent therefore that the applicant has provided an adjustable strap arrangement for nether garments particularly suitable for wear with evening gowns, as well as other outer garments, which adjustable strap arrangement is L inexpensive and is most readily adjusted by the wearer of the garment.

Instead of the particular snap fasteners shown in this application, it is to be understood that other detachable or adjustable fasteners such as hook and eyes or any other suitable fasteners may be employed.

What is claimed is: 1. The combination with a feminine undergarment, particularly adapted to be worn and,

loosely draped or hung from the shoulders of the wearer below evening gowns, of a pair of shoulder straps adjustable both as to length and position so as to lie at different places upon the shoulders of the wearer and to cross the shoulders of the wearer parallelly or to form an X in back of the wearer to conform to the design of the covering garment, said undergarment having a front portion with spaced peaks to be positioned at elevated points on the front of the wearer and a depressed rear portion to extend along the waist of the wearer, said straps taking the form of inverted Js, the'ends of the short legs of which are connected to the spaced peaks at front portion of the undergarment and the rear strap portions being provided each with a single detachable connection element and the rear upper edge of the rear portion of said garment being provided with a line of co-operating detachable connection elements, said detachable connection elements on said straps being formed by attaching tabs of materials to the ear ends of the straps carrying one of the elements of a snap fastener, and the upper rear edge of the back of the undergarment being provided with a plurality of snap receptacles sewed into the garment by circular stitching at spaced intervals, said straps being provided with means to enable adjustment of their length.

2. The combination with a feminine undergarment of a pair of shoulder straps adjustable both as to length and position so as to lie at different places upon the shouldersof the wearer and to cross the shoulders of the wearer parallelly or to form an X in back of the wearer, said undergarment having a front portion with spaced peaks to be positioned at elevated points on the front of the wearer and a depressed rear portion to extend along the waist of the wearer, said straps taking the form of inverted Js, the ends of the short legs of which are connected to said peaks and the rear strap members being each provided with a detachable connecting element and the rear upper edge of the rear portion of said garment being provided with a line of co-operating detachable connection elements, said detachable connection elements being formed by attaching tabs of material to the rear ends of the straps, said tabs of material being of double thickness and being sewn so as to enclose a male snap member provided with a disc support and a projecting element, the tab material having a central opening through which projects the snap portion; and the upper edge of the rear of the garment being provided with a double layer strip of material sewed at its upper and lower edges to the rear of the garment and having a plurality of snap receptacles sewed into the garment by circular stitching at spaced intervals along the rear.

3. In combination with a feminine garment, a pair of shoulder straps adjustable both as to length and position so as to! lie at difierent places upon the shoulders of the wearer and to cross the shoulders of the wearer parallelly or to form an X in back of the wearer, said garment having a front with spaced peak portions to be positioned on the front of the wearer and a depressed rear to extend along the waist of the wearer, said straps taking the form of inverted Js, the ends of the short legs of which are connected to said peak portions at the front of the garment, and the rear strap members being each provided with a detachable connection element and the upper edge of the rear of said garment being provided with a line of cooperating detachable connection elements, said detachable connection elements being formed by attaching tabs of material to the rear ends of the straps, said tabs of material being of double thickness and being formed by sewing together two squares of material along the borders thereof and snap members sewn to each of said tabs and provided with disc supports and projecting snap elements, the disc supports being sewn in position between the squares of the tabs by circular stitching and the tabs having central openings through which project the projecting elements; and the upper rear portion of the garment .being provided with a double layer of material sewed at its upper and lower edges to the rear of the garment and having a plurality of snap receptacles sewed thereinto by circular stitching at spaced intervals along the rear; said straps being provided with two tabs at each of the front ends therof to be sewn to the peak portions of the garment and further provided with adjustable buckles to enable adjustment of the length of the straps corresponding to the various shoulder positions.

' HARRY WEISMAN. 

